Monday, December 11, 2006

WHY CHANT HARE KRISHNA ONLY?

By: Nandagopal Jivan das

Many times, infact, all the times, IYF sessions end with one common point i.e. chanting of Hare Krishna Mahamantra. One may question the necessity of doing this. So, here we’ll present some proofs of importance of chanting of Krishna’s Holy names in this age based on Vedic Literatures like Bhagavad Gita, Puranas and Upanishads:

  • Chanting of Hare Krsna awakens the dormant Love of God in our heart.
  • When we chant Hare Krsna then knowledge and detachment naturally appears in us.(Because chanting Hare Krsna is the most intelligent act on our part.)
  • It’ll free us from the vicious circle of birth and death.
  • In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, Kaliyuga, there is no other way as easy and as simple as the chanting of Hare Krsna.
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna removes all the illusion from our heart.
  • By chanting Hare Krsna only, we can be free from all kinds of tensions.
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna takes us on the level of self- realization and it teaches us how to act & behave like a self- realized soul.
  • It helps us remember Krishna always who is the source of all the happiness.
  • There are no hard and fast rules for chanting Hare Krishna. We can chant- anytime, anywhere and in whatever condition we are in.
  • Lord Sri Krishna is personally present in His Holy names. More we chant, more we’ll realize this.
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna includes all the mantras described in the scriptures. We can get the benefit of chanting all the mantras only by chanting Hare Krsna. That’s why it is called as “Mahamantra”.
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna not only purifies us but it gives eternal spiritual benefit to all the living entities who hears the chanting of Mahamantra.
  • One who is Chanting Hare Krsna very quickly develops all the good qualities.
  • We can chant softly for our personal benefit as well as do the congregation chanting with our friends and family members. Both the ways are recommended and beneficial.
  • Srila Prabhupada chanted Hare Krsna, all the previous Acharyas’, from the time of its inauguration,chanted Hare Krsna and to top it all, Supreme Lord himself in form of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chanted this Mahamantra day and night then Why not us?
  • It’s for all of us. Chanting of Hare Krsna doesn’t involve any expenses. It places us on the topmost spiritual level where there is no end to bliss.
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna doesn’t need any kind of qualifications. Youth or old or even a small baby can chant and dance in Kirtan irrespective of cast, color, creed and nationality and to which religion we belong to. Even if we don’t understand the meaning of the mantra then also it’ll benefit us.
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna gives us freedom from all dangers and inauspicious conditions.
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna is very easy. When the topmost of all paths of God- Realisation is so easy then why accepts the hard path?
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna brings spiritual peace- both for us and for others too.
  • When we chant Hare Krsna, Lord Krishna is very happy with us.
  • When we chant Hare Krsna, Lord Krishna dances on our tongue.
  • By chanting Hare Krsna, we can go to abode of Lord Krishna (Krishnaloka- Goloka Vrindavana) which is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss.
  • Chanting of Hare Krsna frees us from all the sinful acts of all our previous lives. Even if we chant Hare Krishna once offencelessely then it can free us from as much sins as we can’t even commit.
  • Chanting of Hare Krishna can nullify the sinful environment of Kaliyuga.
  • When we chant Hare Krishna, we can taste such nectar at every step of our life which can quench the thirst of soul.
  • If we see Vedic Scriptures then we’ll find that there is nothing higher than chanting of this Hare Krishna Mahamantra- Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
  • Lord Brahma, the first living entity in the universe also says in Kali Santaran Upanishad:

hare krishna hare krishna

krishna krishna hare hare

hare rama hare rama

rama rama hare hare

iti sodasakam namnam

kali-kalmasa nasanam

natah parataropayah

sarva-vedesu drsyate

“The sixteen words of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra- Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, are especially meant for counteracting the contaminating influence of the age of Kali. After searching through all the Vedic literatures, one cannot find a better a better method.”

So, let us not waste this opportunity to chant the Mahamantra!! At least give it a chance. We’ve nothing to loose but everything to gain. So, please chant: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare…and make your life sublime…!!!

Saturday, December 2, 2006

Celebrating the 521st Anniversary of the Appearance Day of Lord Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu

Published by IYF- Delhi On Behalf of the Sri Mayapur International Festival Committee


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Celebrating the 521st Anniversary of the Appearance Day of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu



On behalf of the Sri Mayapur International Festival Committee and all the assembled residents of Sri Mayapur Project we enthusiastically invites all ISKCON devotees to attend the 2007 Gaura Purnima Festival.



Srila Prabhupada emphasized that when devotees associate together they should take the opportunity to relish sad-priti-laksanam, the six kinds of loving exchanges described in the Upadesamrita (Nectar of Instruction). This is the underlying theme of the Gaura Purnima festival, and the festival committee is intent on developing and expanding the ways in which we can experience these loving exchanges while staying in the most auspicious abode of Sri Mayapur, which ampliies our service a thousand times. This year the festival will inaugurate a special emphasis on this theme including all six varieties as described by Srila Prabhupada:



1) giving charity to the devotees,
2) accepting from the devotees whatever they may offer in return,
3) opening one’s mind to the devotees,
4) inquiring from them about the conidential service of the Lord,
5) honoring prasada, or spiritual food, given by the devotees, and
6) feeding the devotees with prasada.



In this spirit the festival will immerse everyone in kirtans, seminars, celebrations and other innovative programs, highlighted by free prasadam provided by our festival sponsors. Srila Prabhupada saw his Sri Mayapur Project as an “international home” where all devotees could feel cared for and sheltered. The residents and volunteers who are organizing the festival are anxious to care for their visiting brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles with all these varieties of loving exchange and to help forge a strong, caring atmosphere in our ISKCON family that extends to every corner of the world.



Highlights of Gaura Purnima Festival 2007



* 521st Birth Celebration of Lord Gauranga
* Sponsored MIHET Sat-sanga Seminars (No Service Charges)
* Srila Prabhupada’s Disciples Reunion
* Pancha Tattva Abhishek of the Holy Name - Ecstatic Evening Kirtans
* Attractive Cultural Programs
* Navadvipa Dhama Parikrama
* Free Prasadam (except during the period of the Parikrama)
* No festival fee



Festival Cochairmen: HH Jayapataka Swami, HG Praghosa dasa



Festival Coordinator: HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami - bps@pamho.net
Phone: +91-(3472)-245-481 Mobile: +91-9434-506-434



MIHET Seminars: The Mayapur Institute for Higher Education and Training will engage many ISKCON leaders and senior devotees in offering “Sat-sanga Seminars” that will have no service charges. These sponsored seminars will directly address the needs, concerns, and challenges of ISKCON devotees. For more details please visit www.mihet.info



Mayapur Festival Room Booking: Racitambara dasi
Phone: +91-(3472)-245-494 / 245-620; e-mail: mghb@pamho.net;
Online booking: www.mayapur.com/booking
Room booking will start from the last week of October 2006 only.



Navadwip Dhama Parikrama Booking: Parikrama fees $38
Purananda Das - Phone: +91-(3472)-245145; e-mail: purananda.jps@pamho.net



Transportation from Kolkata to Mayapur: Sharadendu dasa
Ph:+91-(3472)-245-728; Mobile: +91-9333-773-425; e-mail: purananda.jps@pamho.net